Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Kouzmanoff should bat seventh

He had an eight-game hitting streak while primarily in the No. 7 hole, recording a .520 batting average with four home runs and 12 RBIs during the streak.

So, the Padres rewarded Kouzmanoff by elevating him to fifth in the order. So, Kouzmanoff responded by going 0-for-7 in the last two games at No. 5, dropping his average from .217 to .205.

During his hot streak, the same people who had wanted Kouzmanoff sent to the minors were talking about him as a possible Rookie of the Year. But batting fifth, he looked like the same guy that the multitudes wanted sent out to Triple-A Portland.

When the Padres lineup comes out tonight in Pittsburgh, you can only hope Kouzmanoff is batting seventh.